>> david: tonight, breaking news. a deadly category 4 hurricane slamming into the u.s., landfall in florida, moving across several states at this hour. tonight, the hospital surrounded. patients rescued from the roof. also, the water rescues playing out. families trapped in rising waters. dozens killed in this storm. power out to millions tonight. hurricane helene, the strongest hurricane on record to hit florida's big bend region. more than two dozen people

killed, more than 4.5 million customers without power across multiple the water rescues underway, including patients and staff trapped on that roof of a hospital. the system now on the move tonight. heavy rain and winds from the ohio valley to the mid-atlantic, then rain into the northeast. our team in the storm zone and ginger zee standing by with the track of this, now on the move tonight and into the weekend. the other major story tonight, has the head of hezbollah been killed? the major and devastating israeli air strike targeting the leader of hezbollah. the air strike demolishing hezbollah headquarters in beirut. tonight the u.s. says it had no advance warning of the attack. and if that leader has been killed, what could come next? tonight iran now suggesting this now changes the rules of the game. in new york city tonight, the first sitting mayor to be criminally charged, eric adams in court, pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges. tonight, former president donald trump and ukraine's president zelenskyy side by side

for the first time in five years, saying he has a good relationship with zelenskyy and with vladimir putin. vice president kamala harris in arizona tonight traveling to the southern border, saying if elected, she will add 1,500 officers to the border. she has said she will sign that bipartisan border bill that she says trump torpedoed so he could run on the issue. what the former president is saying tonight. the fiery explosion on the highway. a truck carrying lithium ion batteries up in flames. and tonight here, we remember an acting legend, dame maggie smith, the legendary oscar, emmy, and tony award-winning actress. from "a room with a view" to "downton abbey" to "harry potter." tonight, dame maggie in her own words. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir. >> david: good evening, and we begin tonight with hurricane helene. an historic and deadly storm

making landfall as a major category 4 hurricane. the system carving a path across several states tonight. and it's been deadly. dozens have been killed, and the death toll is rising. there are dramatic water rescues underway as we're on the air tonight. at this hour, what's left of the system is now steamrolling its way across multiple states. the carolinas, virginia, into the ohio valley. the system will then push rain right into the northeast. the devastating storm's reach extending across the south tonight. helicopters rescuing more than 50 people from the roof of this flooded hospital. this is irwin, tennessee. the storm making landfall near perry, florida, with howling winds and blinding rain. drone video showing the widespread devastation tonight in keaton beach, florida. homes leveled, you can see there, in every direction. more than 4 million people without power in seven states tonight. at this hour, north carolina's governor roy cooper calling it one of the worst storms in modern history and warning conditions are still going to worsen for millions. this is far from over. ginger zee standing by with the track right now, and abc's faith abubey on the rescues unfolding at this hour. she leads us off from atlanta tonight. >> reporter: tonight, hurricane helene slamming into florida,

the strongest on record to hit the big bend. and tonight it's proving deadly, dozens dead, millions without power. helene delivering devastating damage and flash flood emergencies across the southeast, the images still coming in. in erwin, tennessee, near the north carolina border, drone video showing a hospital surrounded by raging flood waters, and you can see people on the roof, more than 50 staff and patients stranded, helicopters lifting people to safety. first responders navigating floodwaters in asheville, north carolina, swiftwater rescue teams out in force. >> people in western north carolina should consider all roads closed unless you are seeking higher ground. >> reporter: helene went from a category 1 to a category 4 in less than 12 hours. roaring ashore just before midnight with sustained winds of 140 miles an hour, devastating storm surge washing buildings from their foundations. >> oh, there it goes! >> reporter: the storm, still a 100-mile-an-hour category 2 hurricane as it barreled over

the border into georgia. >> it is a very dangerous environment, and one of our finest has lost his life trying to save others. >> reporter: overnight, multiple rescues in cobb county. and in atlanta, swiftwater teams out in boats making dozens of rescues. these neighbors just now making it out of their flooded neighborhoods. we met darryl hall and his family, thankful to be brought to safety. >> we woke up to, probably like six to seven feet of water at 6:30 in the morning in our basement. then it started to rise, and it went into our living room area. >> reporter: more than 4.5 million homes and businesses across the region in the dark tonight as the death toll continues to rise. david, there's still significant flooding in parts of atlanta tonight. as you can see here around me. the mayor has declared a local state of emergency as statewide recovery efforts continue. david? >> david: we're thinking about the millions of families affected by this tonight. faith, thank you. hurricane helene slamming into florida's big bend region, ripping homes right off their

foundations, downing trees, and leaving very little standing where it hit. abc's victor oquendo tonight in perry, florida. >> reporter: tonight, the catastrophic scenes along florida's gulf coast. hurricane helene destroying entire blocks in keaton beach. new drone video revealing the utter devastation. keaton beach took a hard hit. home after home severely damaged or completely leveled. this entire canal now littered with debris, and these boats behind me, looks like they were tossed around like toys. >> these boats and everything were sitting over in the canal. >> reporter: and they got pushed this far over? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: this is supposed to be a street. >> it is a street. >> reporter: fonda neel lives in keaton beach. her home, what she calls her happy place, gone. >> devastating. it is. it's hard to think. >> reporter: further south, a 10-foot storm surge tore apart sections of cedar key. a dramatic rescue off sanibel island. the coast guard pulling a man and his dog to safety after

their boat capsized, getting the thumbs-up. p our ginger zee was on treasure island when helene hit, showing us the devastation right after. >> the ocean pushed all these boats over 200 yards that way, across a four-lane causeway, putting them right in front of all these people's homes. >> reporter: this is the moment helene blasted the town of perry. accuweather capturing sparks raining down in the dark. scott bembry regrets not evacuating. >> i wouldn't advise anybody to stick around for one of these storms. evacuate when it's time to evacuate. >> reporter: homes on fire in south pasadena surrounded by storm surge. >> anybody in your house? >> reporter: from clearwater beach to manatee county further south -- >> one, two, three. >> reporter: -- first responders carrying seniors to safety, hundreds of people rescued. tonight, residents are returning home across florida's big bend. the homeowners here finding this massive roof in their backyard.

some are beginning to clean up. others realizing they'll have to rebuild from the ground up. david? >> we have to applaud all those first responders, too, helping to get those people to safety overnight. victor, thank you. let's get right to chief meteorologist ginger zee. she has flown back from the storm region, back in new york tonight. ginger, what's left of this system is still on the move tonight? >> moving fast. david, more than 400 miles from where it made landfall, we see flash flood emergencies still in place in the southern appalachians. johnson city, tennessee, is still seeing it at this hour. but the actual low pressure system is back over central kentucky, and it's twisting around all that moisture. tornado watches in parts of virginia and north carolina, and we'll watch that rain kind of dwindle the next two days. but it's going to come with a lot of wind tonight still. we wanted to warn you, the high wind alerts go from south carolina back to indianapolis, parts of illinois, even arkansas, and there in tennessee. look at some of those numbers. paducah 40. indianapolis close to 55-mile-per-hour gusts tonight. they'll slow down tomorrow, but you see how that twist just

keeps going and going? we're going to see the remnants not move much over the weekend. and then finally, we'll kick it out by early next week. we'll even get a few of those showers mixing into a front by the end of the weekend, early next week, right here in the northeast. and david, we can assure you that the name helene will be retired. >> david: no question about that. ginger, we thank you for your coverage right through the storm. welcome back to new york. we'll see you next week. we continue on this friday night because the major story unfolding overseas tonight has this question attached to it. has the leader of hezbollah been killed? a major and devastating israeli air strike targeting the leader of hezbollah. the air strike demolishing hezbollah headquarters in beirut. tonight, israeli intelligence saying the buildings were destroyed where they believe that leader was, but there has been no confirmation either way. the u.s. says it had no advance warnings of this attack. and if that leader has been killed, the question now, what could come next? what iran is already suggesting. ian pannell in beirut again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the

question still unanswered in the middle east -- was the leader of iranian-backed hezbollah killed in a massive israeli strike in beirut? a series of bombs ripping through a residential area in the south of the city. israel says it was a hezbollah stronghold, home to underground bunkers housing its headquarters. two israeli sources telling abc news the target was the group's widely revered leader of 32 years, hasan nasrallah. the biden administration quick to distance itself from the strikes. >> i can tell you, the united states had no knowledge of or participation in the idf action. >> reporter: defense secretary lloyd austin saying he was speaking on the phone with israel's defense secretary as the attack unfolded. >> united states was not involved in israel's operation. we had no advance warning. >> reporter: the attack just one hour after a fiery speech at the u.n. general assembly in new york by israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, calling the u.n. a, quote, swamp of anti-semitic bile and dismissed

a ceasefire plan pushed by the u.s. and others. >> don't let nasrallah drag lebanon into the abyss. we're not at war with you. we're at war with hezbollah, which has hijacked your country and threatens to destroy ours. >> reporter: david, tonight iran reacting. the embassy here saying the attack changes the rules of the game, as israel tells residents in parts of the city to urgently evacuate their homes and more strikes are already under way tonight. david? >> david: ian pannell in beirut all week long for us. ian, thank you. meantime, back here in the u.s. tonight and the race for president. this evening, vice president kamala harris at this hour in arizona traveling to the southern border, saying if elected, she will add 1,500 officers to the border. she has said she will sign that bipartisan border bill supported by republicans and democrats that she says trump torpedoed so that he could run on the issue. what the former president is saying tonight. mary bruce from arizona. >> reporter: vice president kamala harris touching down late today at the southern border to tackle one of her greatest

vulnerabilities in this campaign, immigration. harris traveling to the border in the key battleground of arizona. she's been closing the gap on donald trump's lead on the economy, now aiming to fight him on who would be most effective on border security, too. tonight, the campaign with a new ad. >> she put cartel members and drug traffickers behind bars, and she will secure our border. >> reporter: tonight, harris promising if she's elected, she will add 1,500 more border agents and officers, crack down on fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking, and surge resources to the border. much of this was included in the landmark bipartisan border security bill that harris supported but that donald trump urged members of congress to tank, just as the campaign was heating up. >> donald trump called up those folks and said, don't put that bill on the floor for a vote. he blocked the bill, and you know why? >> why? >> because he'd refer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. >> reporter: while apprehensions

at the border hit a record high under the biden administration, over 8 million. on the ground in nogales, arizona, border patrol telling us they've seen a notable difference since the president put new limits on asylum claims. riding along with them on patrol, we get a firsthand look. since president biden enacted those new asylum restrictions back in june, they have seen a drastic decrease in the encounters along the border. 60% in this sector alone. but trump, well aware polls show immigration is a winning issue for him, has tried to pin the situation on the border squarely on harris, and he's promising an aggressive crackdown. >> we will close the border. we will stop the invasion. we will begin the largest deportation operation in american history. >> reporter: david, harris here tonight is arguing that we can be a nation of laws and also a nation of immigrants. that you don't have to choose between securing the border and creating an immigration system that is orderly and compassionate. david, she's trying to do both. >> david: mary bruce with us again tonight. mary, thank you. meanwhile tonight, former

president trump and ukraine's president zelenskyy were side by side today for the first time in five years. trump in that moment before reporters saying he has a good relationship with zelenskyy and with vladimir putin. zelenskyy then interjecting, saying he hopes the bond with ukraine is stronger. here's rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump and ukraine president volodymyr zelenskyy standing side by side for the first time in five years. and just days after trump lashed out at zelenskyy and questioned the future of some of ukraine. trump has made the claim he could negotiate an end to the war in just 24 hours, but zelenskyy has said that's not possible. today with zelenskyy at his side, trump said he has a good relationship with zelenskyy but that he also had a good relationship with vladimir putin, too. not long after, zelenskyy interjects, saying, he hopes relations with ukraine are better than with putin. >> we have a very good relationship. and i also have a very good relationship, as you know, with president putin. and i think -- if we win, i think we're going to get it

resolved very quickly. very -- i really think we're going to get it resolved. >> i hope we have more good relations with us. >> you know, it takes two to tango, you know? >> reporter: trump initially had no plan to see zelenskyy. their meeting at trump tower scheduled at the last minute. the former president has repeatedly criticized the ukrainian leader, insisting zelenskyy should have made concessions to russia to end the war. trump refusing to say whether he wants ukraine to win, saying this just days ago. >> those buildings are down, those cities are gone. they're gone. and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal, zelenskyy. >> reporter: today's last-minute meeting came 24 hours after zelenskyy stood with vice president kamala harris, who vowed to stand by ukraine and who said what trump and j.d. vance have put on the table for ukraine would be a surrender to putin. >> these proposals are the same of those of putin. and let us be clear. they are not proposals for peace.

instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable. >> reporter: zelenskyy calling that meeting with donald trump productive, but he is keenly aware the future of any additional aid to ukraine from the u.s. depends on the outcome of this election. david? >> david: rachel scott back with us tonight. rachel, thank you as always. here in new york city tonight, mayor eric adams pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges. he's accused of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. the first sitting mayor in the city to face criminal charges. the mayor was fingerprinted and photographed like any other criminal defendant, telling the judge today, "i am not guilty, your honor." to the economy tonight, the stock market hitting another record high today. the dow up nearly 138 points, closing at a new high of 42,313. when we come back here, the explosion on the highway. a truck carrying lithium ion batteries up in flames. the images in a moment. and we remember an acting legend tonight. she was loved. you never want t of the things you love.

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>> david: to the index, and tonight the fda now approving the first new drug to treat people with schizophrenia in more than 30 years. cobenfy is taken twice daily. it's shown to manage symptoms such as delusions and disorganized thinking. when we come back here tonight, we remember an acting legend. dame maggie smith in her own words tonight. from "downton abbey" to "sister act" to "harry potter." leaving . but then i thought mom's weak bones might keep us stuck on the couch. no way. (♪) if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, you can do more than just slow bone loss. you can build new bone in just 12 months with evenity®. evenity® is proven to reduce spine fracture risk by 73%. i heard her say the evenity® she's taking builds new bone. builds new bone! evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular problem. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium or are allergic to it.

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evening. >> david: for six seasons she was the stubborn widowed mother violet crowley in "downton abbey." >> why dwell on that now? >> because i want the pleasure of saying "i told you so." >> david: playing a privileged matriarch refusing to change in a modernizing world. >> there must be something you can put your mind to. >> like what? gardening? >> well, no. you can't be as desperate as that. >> david: the role winning her three emmys. >> there are plenty of hours in the day. and of course i'll have the weekend. >> what is a weekend? >> harry potter? >> david: she was professor mcgonagall in the blockbuster "harry potter" films. >> that was bloody brilliant. >> thank you for that assessment, mr. weasley. perhaps it would be more useful if i were to transfigure mr. potter and yourself into a pocket watch. that way, one of you might be on time. >> david: and mother superior opposite whoopi goldberg in "sister act." >> there are three vows every nun must accept. the vow of poverty, the vow of obedience, and the vow of chastity.

>> i am our here with that. >> i'm always playing these sort of rather sour, sated women. and i'm always in corsets, and i'm always in wigs, and i'm always in button boots. it's sort of like kind of -- it's typecasting, i suppose. i have -- i can't remember when i last appeared in modern dress. >> david: tonight, maggie smith's children saying she died in a london hospital at the age of 89 surrounded by family and friends. and tonight here, dame maggie smith in her own words. >> i've had so much luck and so much good fortune that it frightens me, somehow. i always feel, there's got to be -- something, you know, must go wrong somewhere. maybe i'm just always waiting for it. >> david: dame maggie smith. she was iconic. i'm david muir. i'll see you on monday. good night.

right here in the bay area. >> first smoke, then fire. the growing dangers we face from batteries. what to look for? to find out if your device is safe. >> plus, the timeline for the new phase of the oakland coliseum. without the a's always live. >> abc seven news starts right now. >> a deadly encounter. someone was hit and killed by a train in san mateo. it happened just before 3 p.m. along the caltrain

tracks between the san mateo and burlingame stops. it's delaying all trains in both directions, but the delays are improving. right now. it's about 30 to 60 minutes, down from a high of 90 minutes earlier. caltrain says the delays could last all evening. several trains were canceled completely. good evening. i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. >> thanks for joining us. that crash comes on the same day as a push to make streets safer for pedestrians all across the state. governor newsom signed several bills aimed at preventing traffic related deaths on state owned roads across california. this one he signed in malibu. another one he signed was authored by san francisco state senator scott wiener. >> that's who pushed the governor to sign another traffic safety bill. while standing on san francisco's lombard street. it was the scene of two deadly crashes earlier this month. >> those crashes did not happen on the widely known crooked section of lombard, but rather the intersections you see on this map where lombard becomes highway 101. >> abc seven news reporter tim johns explains what